I spent this week thinking about what would make sense for the daily footprint project. Here is what I decided:
- to make things as simple as possible
- yet be as detailed and accurate as possible
- to make it easy for anyone else to replicate the experiment
- to document with photos whenever applicable
The 6 main categories of impact I will document are:
- water
- electricity/gas
- food
- garbage (take photos)
- transportation (in miles)
- non food shopping (take photos)
Each category will be divided between activities/consumptions that are:
- strictly personal
- parenting related
- tied to overall functioning of household
That should cover everything. I will also document whatever thoughts, feelings, ideas, come up in the process. That part of the experiment is probably the most important. I will continue the experiment until I feel I have learned as much as I can from it. A second phase will involve quantifying the various types of activities in terms of water use and carbon impact.
[...] 31st, 2007 by lamarguerite On the second day of the Daily Footprint Project, my attention is drawn to a single plastic bag. I inherited it when I bought the prepackaged red [...]
[...] is the picture of all the food waste that made its way to the garbage last night, on Day 1 of the Daily Footprint Project. Two day old wilted salad with romaine and radishes. One third uneaten steak from Catherine’s [...]
[...] 1st, 2007 by lamarguerite Third day of Daily Footprint Project. Six pairs of jeans. I counted. Fresh out of the [...]
[...] 2nd, 2007 by lamarguerite Four days. It took me four days into the Daily Footprint Project to become aware of toilet [...]
[...] 3rd, 2007 by lamarguerite On the fifth day of the Daily Footprint Project, I relied on my magic key, a bit more than [...]
[...] 4th, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 6 of Daily Footprint Project. The day to get my roots [...]
[...] 5th, 2007 by lamarguerite It is day 8 into the Daily Footprint Project, and I just realized I have omitted recycling completely. Part of me thought, if it’s [...]
[...] 6th, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 8 of Daily Footprint Project. I have covered pretty much every aspect of my daily footprint, that I can think [...]
[...] 7th, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 9 of Daily Footprint Project, and still nothing to report in the ‘Non Food Shopping’ area. Pretty amazing, given that [...]
[...] 7th, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 10 of Daily Footprint Project. I had to attend a business meeting in San Francisco late in the evening. Full of good intentions, [...]
[...] 9th, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 11 of Daily Footprint Project. The main thrust of the project has been to examine my personal contribution in terms of ecological [...]
[...] 9th, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 12 of Daily Footprint Project. It’s been in the back of my mind, these last few [...]
[...] 11th, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 13 of Daily Footprint Project. I am amazed at the change. The desire to shop has totally left [...]
[...] 12th, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 14 of Daily Footprint Project. I was in a hurry, and needed to get some more apples for our fruit [...]
[...] 13th, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 15 of Daily Footprint Project. The day for round two of gum surgery. Oh, joy! I am to eat only soft food for the next few days. [...]
[...] 14, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 16 of Daily Footprint Project. Major overhaul of my bathroom closet. I spent a few more hours going through the Skin Deep [...]
[...] 15, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 17 of Daily Footprint Project. The memory of last week’s toxic attack, motivated me to take action before Esperanza’s [...]
[...] 17, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 18 of Daily Footprint Project. It’s been sitting by the fireplace. Daring me with its unopened carton. Must have been a [...]
[...] 18, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 19 of Daily Footprint Project. The paper recycling basket keeps filling [...]
[...] 24, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 21 0f Daily Footprint Project. Yesterday, I wrote an article on, ‘Thanksgiving, a Time to Shop or to Lighten Our [...]
[...] 25, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 22 of Daily Footprint Project. The numbers about the top three contributors to greenhouse gases emissions have left a permanent [...]
[...] 26, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 22 of Daily Footprint Project. I was to go through Craigslist to find a used bike. Instead my day got eaten up by greater [...]
[...] 27, 2007 by lamarguerite The Daily Footprint Project has taken me to the micro level of my personal footprint, down to the most minute details. I am [...]
[...] 28, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 25 of Daily Footprint Project. This is the bike I [...]
[...] 29, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 26 of Daily Footprint Project. My search for a bike continues. Yesterday, I drove 38 miles to look at an old Murray bike. What I [...]
[...] 2, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 27 of Daily Footprint Project. The day to pick up my bike from the store. I finally found a used one a few days ago. Despite the [...]
[...] 5, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 28 of Daily Footprint Project. Cold, and rainy. I had to go out twice, once to a doctor’s appointment, and then to the [...]
[...] 9, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 29 of Daily Footprint Project. A milestone in my ‘trying to be green’ trajectory. I was feeling good. My heart light [...]
[...] 14, 2007 by lamarguerite Day 30 of Daily Footprint Project. A good time to conclude the project. And to reflect on the lessons learned during these thirty [...]
[...] Daily Footprint Project has taken me to the micro level of my personal footprint, down to the most minute details. I am [...]
[...] Nov Day 14 of Daily Footprint Project. I was in a hurry, and needed to get some more apples for our fruit basket. I could have gone to the [...]